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G. A. M INZBY. l 'mst APPLICATION IILBD SEPT. 25, 1.913.

v 1,100,663. Patented June 16, 191:1u I

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GEQRGE A. MINZEY, F '.BRDOKTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR'TO ELLEBY C.

WRIGHT, OF BROCKT 0N, MASSACHUSETTS.

LAST.

K i gg Specification of Letters Patent. Patented J une 16, 1.914.

applicati@ rues september 25, 191s. serial No.

To all 11i/10m t may cof/wem:

lle it known that GEORGE A. MrNznY, a. citizen of the United States, and resident of Brockton, county of Plymouth, State of, hflsissnehusetts, have invented an Improvement in Lasts, ot' which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is e specification, like letters on the drawings representing likeparts.

This invention relates to two-part lasts, und its object is to strengthen the construc-I tion of the heel portion of such lasts, to provide s` rigid member connecting the heel part und forepart which will also act' as s brace or support for the last in use, and to improve und perfect this type oi last.

.in the manufacture of lasts having two parts it has heretofore`been very difficult t0 provide n construction which was suiiiciently strong to withstand the blows and pressures to which a last is subjected in use and consequently two-part lasts are defective in their capacity to endure the strains to which they are subjected in ordinary shoe factory use.

My present invention is e two-port lest, with :i rigid connectingmembcr which will enable such uy last to be mede without cutting any slots or making grooves or the like in the wood of'either part, particularly iny the shutting feces or surfaces of the forepart und heel part where the same Contact.

By ineens of my invention I am enabled to leave the wood in the heel part substantially entire und simply bore nvrelatively small cavity in the center of the fore-port', which does not materially weaken the wood of the fore-part, und unite both heel part end fore-part by Ineens of e rodlike connecting' member which will also serve to c0- operete with the abutting feces oi' the two parts in affording increased rigidity and strength to the last when it is subjected to the solo leveling and heeling pressures. I also provide means to distribute the strains in the heel part throughout the more solid and thicker portions of the wood. In my .improved lest .l ein also enabled to provide n relatively hipgli pivot point in the fore-port on which the two parts may swing to secure n more rapid shortening of the lust when the parts are flexed for insertion in or removal from n shoe, this having the further urli nuttige ot enablinga the pivot to be in the thicker and stronger portions of the wood of the forepart.

Otherfeatures of the invention, details of y ations of parts will be hereinafter more fully pointed out sind claimed. Referring to` the drawings, illustretingu preferred embodiment of the invention, Figure 1 is aside view, partly in section, of my Vimproved last; sind Fig. 2 is a vie partly 1n section on the line 22 of Fig. l.

he drawingsl is the forepart and 2 the heel part of s two part last. Preferably I make the. line of cut or division between these two parts with straight meeting faces, :is shown at 3 and 4, together with the usual V-shaped faces 5 and 6 to permit the parts to be flexed, the last named lines of cut bein just suliicient topermit the amount of ilexing desired, thus reducing' to e minimum, the cutting` away of the wood of the last. 'Preferably 'these lines of cut 3 and 4 are made substantially at right angles to each other, as shown, in the drawing, thereby constituting a recess in the heel portion :1nd the coperating projection in the forepart, this form enabling me to advantageously position the pivot member together with my novel form of means for 'uniting the two/ parts. I utilize u rodlike member as this means and bore a suitable socket 7 therefor in the heel part, and a correspondin socket 8 in the fore-part, the latter being su ciently enlarged to permit' the rodlike connecting member 9 to oscillate when the two parts arc flexed to shorten the last. This member 9'is preferably in the form of an elbow, having a portion adapted to fit snugly in the sockets 7, which is formeel approximately in the central part of the heel portion where the wood is firm and solid, while the other portion of the member 9 extends in the socket 8 and ispivotally mounted on e in l0, which posses through the Wood, of the forepart 1being in the solid wood of the lust excepting only where it passes through the bore 8 and into said member 9. This pin 10 can be fitted in a relatively high position, from the extreme bottoni of the last, thus alfording rm bearings in the wood of the forepart. It will be noted also that the pivot pin 10 is substantially in line with the face 5, so that said pin is in very firm wood i of the forepart l, Passing through the heel Cri part. and through a suitable socket therefor in the othcizcnd ofthe member 9 is a bolt 11, preferably constituting;` a compression meinber with heads on either end, similar to the compression bolt illustrated in Patents 605,- 768 and 642,945, which thus binds the elbow or connecting member 9 rigidly in the heel part and. at the sametime holds the wood of the heel part under compression adjacent the socket 7. .As a still further strengtheningr means for the elbow 9 and the heel part 2, l provide a similar tension bolt l2 vertically ofthe heel and passing through the member 9, as clearly shown in Figs. l and 2, |This second bolt is preferably headed underneath the heel olenching plate 13, and is protected thereby. l also strengthen the heel portion with the usual tension bolts 14 and l5 underneath and at the rear of the thimble 16, respectively, as is customary. To keep the two 1parts in extended position, a spring' 17 fitting in bored sockets 1S and 19 is also arranged as shown.

. In use, it will oe seen that my improved construction provides a last having the heel part so strengthened that the heel thereof will receive and coi'is'equently resist the strains to which the last is subjected, in the firm and solid parts of the heel. The member 9 being fitted substantially midway be tween the heel plate 13 and the 'top or cone of the last '20, is 'in the best position to be firmly and solidly held, and by its bearing upon the vertical tension bolt 'l2 and the transverse tension bolt l1, it is .most firmly secured, "lVith the last in extended posin tion also, the meeting edges 8 and et of the heel and foreparts present an 'unbroken surface to transmit strains and pressure, free of any slots or other weakening cuts, and furthermore the member 9 is so ar- 'ranged as to ail'ord an additional bearing surface at 2l on the wood of the forepart ,so that the several surfaces 3, fi, and 2l provide a. firm locking means to resist leveling' or collapsing'pressures or the like when applied to the bottom of the last. I consider this feature of the member 9 cooperating with the lines of cut 3 and las of impor tance in affording additional strain rcs1st` ing means. IEhe pintle pin 10 and the oonnecting member 9 may be of any suitable size to afford the desired strength for a particular last and the special uses to which it may be put. The relatively higli pivot point 10 ,in the forepart together with the elbow form of the member J affords a` very quick shortening of the last, whcnlthe two parts are flexed, and enables it to be fitted in or, removed from a shoe with exceptional ease. speed and facility.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent ist l. A two-part last, comprising a foropart and a heel part, and a rodlike member hav'- ing one end portion rigidly secured in said heel part and its other end portion extending substantially at a right angle to said rigidly secured portion and pivotally connected to said torepart.

2. A twdpart last, comprising a forepart with a vertical socket therein and a heel part with a horizontal socket therein, a rodlike member havingtwo arms, substantially right angled to each other, one arm boing irmly seated in the socket in said heel part and its lother arm pivotally fitting in the vertical, socket in the forepart, and of less diameter than said socket, and pivotal means securing, said arm to the forepart.

3. A twdpart last, comprising a foropart with a 'vertical Socket therein and a heel part with a horizontal socket therein, and a rodlike member of elbow form firmly secured in the socket of the heel part by horizontal and vertical tension bolts :1nd pivotally secured in the socket of the forepart.

,ln testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

GEORGE A. MINZEY.

VVit-nesses JAMES `W. MoDEvrr'r, Enmnnon C. HUNT. 

